It happened again today. There I was at church, happily singing and clapping along with the praise band, when Mr. B gave me That Look. It starts at my face and moves down to…my hands (c’mon, we were in church, people!).
I looked down and realized that, once again, I was clapping on the off-beat.
Now, I’m no musical prodigy, but I do have some experience in the field. I took several years of piano lessons (for now we’ll ignore the fact that my first teacher had a nervous breakdown and the next two moved out of state). I spent three years in the percussion section of my college’s marching band, working my way up from the cymbals to tenor drum. I only recently dropped out of the church choir, and they didn’t even force me out.
I just don’t get this rhythm thing. To me a measure is nothing more than a couple of vertical lines on a music page. What does it matter how many beats are in one? Sure, you can waltz better in 3/4 time than 4/4, but who waltzes these days, anyway? And don’t get me going on the difference between 2/2 and 4/4. I took math–I know they’re the same thing.
Which brings me back to my offbeat clapping. I’ve decided that I am just a syncopated kind of girl. And if you don’t know what syncopated is, welcome to my world!
7 Comments
Hey…. maybe YOU were on beat and everyone else was off…!
Stay away from the difference between a jig and a reel.
After all the years of playing a trombone in band in school, anytime I sing I wind up singing harmony, makes no difference what I’m trying to sing.
I’ve been musical all my life. I’ve been playing the piano since I was seven-ish. I sing and play the violin. I have taken music theory classes and thoroughly understand music and beats and all that. But I cannot, for the life of me, keep a beat myself. I guess education can only take a person so far.
I love music, I do clap in rhythm, but goodness do not let me sing! You can clap any old way you want to.
I’m like Cyn. I got the rhythm but I ain’t got the voice! That doesn’t stop me from singing along at full volume in the car. My kids love when I do that!
When I sing in church my son nudges me to lower my voice, but I can sometimes clap in time. By the way, go Phillies!!!! Sister Mad
Ha ha! I remember giving my mother that Look when we were in church as kids. I think it only made her sing louder. You know, clapping to the beat is probably just overrated…